4 On The Road to Lothering
by Mythial
Summary: Alistair, Elissa, her mabari and Morrigan have left Flemeth's hut, and are making their way to the town of Lothering. They know what it is they have to do to save Ferelden, but the group dynamic is still to settle, especially between Alistair and Morrigan. Disclaimer: I do not claim to own these characters. I am simply expanding on the world of Dragon Age : Origins in my own way.


"Why are you such a bitch?"

"For the same reason you are stupid; I do not know."

"You're just a nasty...hateful...witch thing..."

"Such an original insult. I would ask if you thought of that yourself, only I cannot smell burning."

Elissa rolled her eyes as she walked slowly behind the bickering pair. Her annoyance at them had grown steadily since the start of their journey a few days ago.

They had even successfully annoyed her mabari Dax, who trotted loyally at her side. She had to smile as he appeared to shake his head before looking up at her.

"Pin them if they don't shut up," she half-heartedly whispered. He snorted his approval as the verbal onslaught between Alistair and Morrigan continued.

"How stupid does a man have to be to fail at his Templar training?"

"I didn't _fail_ in my Templar training, I was recruited into the Grey Wardens. And I'm not stupid!"

"Make what reason you will; you still failed to complete your training."

"I **didn't** fail!"

Elissa stopped, sighing heavily. There was so much ahead, impossible tasks they somehow had to achieve, that the thought of doing it all in the midst of their arguing finally broke her resolve.

She was quick, and let loose an arrow, deliberately sending it between the two, and was ready with a double shot as Alistair and Morrigan stopped in shock.

Both froze as they looked back at her.

Confidently and determinedly, she strode towards her two surprised companions, only stopping when she was within lethal firing of them. Dax's war stance didn't go amiss either.

Both Alistair and Morrigan looked at each other before looking back at her.

"Elissa..." Alistair began gingerly.

"Shut up," Elissa snapped back, his surprise at her tone registering fully. "Literally, shut up, the damn pair of you." She watched as their eyes darted across the arrows to her, unsure about what to do. "For three days I've had to listen to your constant bickering. _Three days_. And I've had enough. We have the whole of Ferelden to unite and save, and _you two_ can't even say a civil word to each other. So I give you both a choice, here and now; civility and avoidance, or my arrows and mabari."

Elissa watched as her words hung in the air. Alistair was clearly embarrassed; Morrigan unreadable, though her eyes narrowed.

And it was Morrigan who broke the silence.

"Whilst I cannot promise that I nor Alistair will not argue in the future, I will, for the moment, submit. I apologise to _you_ for the distress I have _jointly_ caused. I will walk on ahead, as my gesture in resolving the current...tension."

Morrigan glared at Alistair before walking away.

Alistair turned his gaze back to Elissa, to find her staring intensely at him.

"I'm sorry," he said apologetically. "But that _woman_..."

"Choose." Elissa was not letting up.

Alistair was quick, hating the look she had. "Civility, Elissa. I promise civility."

He felt his breathing return as she disarmed her arrows, replacing them in her quiver.

He stepped around Dax to her.

"I'm sorry," he offered gently. She seemed to shrink at his words, pushing his guilt further. "I didn't think, and she riles me so."

Elissa looked up into his auburn eyes. "You rile each other Alistair, but enough. I truly have had enough of it. Please, no more, I beg you. Everything is hard enough already, without having to fight to tear you both apart."

Alistair could only nod as they stared at each other for a time, neither taking a further step.

It was Elissa who finally broke from the gaze, striding out towards the waiting Morrigan.

* * *

That night in camp, Alistair and Morrigan gave each other a wide birth, as they sat with Elissa between them. The few times they spoke to the other were civil enough, for they were acutely aware that Dax was blatantly monitoring them.

Alistair was animatedly quizzing Elissa about her mabari.

"But isn't that a form of...you know...mating?"

Elissa chuckled as she stretched, her feet toasty warm from the fire.

"No, far from it. Mastery is very different to pairing. Mastery is about command and companion, the free choice remaining with the mabari and it may not happen because of that; whilst pairing is about lineage and mating, and that is an aspect that is predetermined in the mabari biology and will occur regardless of the mabari's will."

"So he chose you?"

Elissa nodded. "He did. The kennel master in Highever had never seen it happen in a pup so young before. He always said that was why Dax is so intuitive to me." She saw Alistair's questioning look. "Mastery doesn't normally happen until after a mabari pup turns six months old. Dax wasn't even weaned when it happened."

"Really?"

"It took two nights for my father to agree to moving the mother and litter to my room, as his wailing for me was keeping the castle awake."

"Seriously?"

She nodded. "It becomes more ferocious with age too. And trust me, pair that with a mabari being forcibly kept from its master, and you'd best run. As my brother found out...a little too late."

Alistair was fascinated, even more so by how easy he found it was to talk to her. "What happened?" He liked how she smiled at the memory.

"He gave Dax a sleeping draught and hid him from me. I was still being taught the aspects of mastery by the Highever kennel master, but I knew enough to know what could happen, and I warned him of that, in front of our parents, but he didn't believe me. When the draught wore off, Dax began to howl and I called out to him. That was all he needed. He broke down a door that had been in the castle since the time of the werewolves, and knocked my brother with such force upon entering the hall that he flew across it. Afterwards my brother said that hadn't been the worst part."

Alistair was smiling in disbelief. "What was?"

Elissa looked at him with a mischievous grin. "Our parents."

Alistair fell about laughing as Dax trotted over and lay down next to Elissa, mumbling contentedly. Unconsciously she stroked him, and Alistair noticed she was sleepy.

He tried not to disturb her as he stood, but even half asleep, Elissa's senses were sharp. Her eyes followed him.

"Where are you going?"

"Over there," he pointed, "I need a moment."

Elissa blushed at his honesty, as she nudged her mabari; Dax got up and trotted to his side. Alistair looked at her.

"Really? Every time?"

Dax just stood looking at him, wagging his tail.

"Safety in numbers," stated Morrigan, who was staring stoically into the fire.

Alistair held his tongue. "Alright then, come on you," he said to Dax as jovially as he could muster.

Both headed into the darkness. Elissa waited until she was thought Alistair would be out of ear shot.

Morrigan looked at her. "Why are you staring?"

Elissa blushed slightly. "I want...to ask...you...something, but..."

Morrigan's curiosity was peaked. "What is it Warden?"

Elissa didn't know where to start.

"Is it about the dim-witted fool?"

"Morrigan," Elissa chided.

"Oh very well," Morrigan corrected her tone. "Is it about your fellow Grey Warden?"

Elissa shook her head. "No, it's about...someone else."

"I see."

Elissa stared into the fire, unable to look at Morrigan as she finally asked the one question she had had since meeting Morrigan and Flemeth.

"Before the battle," she tried to steady her voice, "there were a band of men sent to scout in the Korcari Wilds." Morrigan remained silent, sensing how important this was. "They never made it to the battle at Ostagar. I know there is little chance but...did you or your mother see them?"

"There were many we saw and avoided, so I do not know of who it is you speak. Is this man your lover?"

Elissa looked horrified at Morrigan.

"By the Maker, no! He's...it's..." her voice finally cracked, "my brother. I don't know what happened to Fergus."

"Ahh," exclaimed Morrigan lightly, "I see. I would be able to answer you better if you could tell me how he looked?"

Elissa swallowed hard. "He's taller than me, with the same dark hair and eyes. The same nose too. A squarer jaw, and a beard. His armour would be emblazoned with our family heraldry; two long golden leaves, intersecting at the bottom, with a blue hue."

She watched Morrigan think intently.

"I remember the heraldry well," answered Morrigan finally, "however I do not remember seeing the man you speak of."

She saw the disappointment in Elissa's face.

"That is not to say that he was not there."

"No," replied Elissa solemnly, "but the chances of him being alive..."

"Are remote at best."

Elissa fell silent.

"I am sorry," said Morrigan, "I do not know how else to respond to this."

"It's alright," replied Elissa, her pain subduing her voice to a mere whisper. "I knew it was a slim chance at best but...I needed to ask."

"I understand. Truly, I do."

Morrigan watched inquisitively as Elissa entered a thoughtful world of her own; one where the family she missed desperately lived.

* * *

Alistair stared into the darkness as he secretly listened to the quiet conversation of his two female companions.

His stomach knotted, as it reminded him of his own pain.

He felt it for Duncan, his fellow Grey Wardens, and for King Cailan. Yet he was worried.

For he couldn't decide if he shouldn't also mourn Cailan as his brother, the way that Elissa was now mourning hers.

Shouldn't he feel something similar for Cailan? They were brothers after all, albeit half blood, and for this Alistair had been considered the cur of the Theirin line.

Yet Cailan knew of him, and had even tried to get to know Alistair at Ostagar, despite the tension between the two.

Didn't that count for something, at least?

That question, along with his now open grief, kept Alistair's mind occupied well into their arrival and stay at Lothering, along with the days beyond.


End file.
